CLOTHING IN ANCIENT GREECE
The way we dress is an expression of our self image.While looking at the clothes people wore in the past, we also see the ideals of their times
Around 1.200 B.C. waves of Dorian invaders swept into Greece from Illyria on the east of the Adriatic and brought about the downfall of the Mycenaean civilization. The following four centuries are known as the "Dark Age" of Greece. The period started with a civilization of people dressed in bell-shaped skirts and tightly fitted bodices, and ended with a race dressed in draped clothes, the costumes we now associate with the Greeks and the Romans.
From the seventh century B.C. onwards, we have vast quantities of reference material for the study of costume. Greeks were among the finest exponents of figurative sculpture. Never before had costume been portrayed with such meticulous care and precision. Statues, together with untold numbers of painted pots, give the historian a unique pictorial history of the development of a nation and its fashions. At the same time, we have the invaluable contribution of the written word. Such great Greek historians as Herodotus have given us very detailed descriptions of developments in fashion and the social significance of costume and their accessories.
THE DORIC AND THE IONIC COSTUME
During the periods under discussion, generally referred to as Archaic and Classical, there were two basic styles of costume for both men and women: Doric, in existence at the beginning of the Archaic period, and Ionic which was adopted later.
The most basic garment for women was the Doric peplos, worn universally up to the beginning of the sixth century B.C.
Made from a rectangle of woven wool, it measured about six feet in width and about eighteen inches more than the height of the wearer from shoulder to ankle in length. The fabric was wrapped round the wearer with the excess material folded over the top. It was then pinned on both shoulders and the excess material allowed to fall free, giving the impression of a short cape. The pins used for fastening the shoulders of the peplos were originally open pins with decorated heads, but they were later replaced by fibulae or brooches.
Herodotus, explaining this development, tells us a rather macabre story:
After a disastrous military campaign by the Athenian army, all the forces were put to death except one man who managed to escape, return to Athens and tell the women about their husbands' fate.
Devastated the women took the huge pins from their Doric peplos and butchered the man in anger and contempt.
The men of Athens, Herodotus tells us, were so horrified that they declared that Ionic dress should be worn in the future. Whether the story is true is uncertain, but there was for sure a period when open pins went out of favor.
The Ionic chiton which followed was similar to the Doric peplos in overall construction. The woolen fabric was replaced by thin linen or occasionally silk, reflecting the increased influence of Asia Minor on the country. Again the costume was made from a single rectangle of material but much wider than that used for the peplos, measuring up to ten feet wide. It had no surplus material and was measured exactly from shoulder to ankle. The enormous width required that eight to ten fibulae were needed to fasten the top edge, leaving an openwork seam either side of the neck which ran across the shoulders and down the arms to form elbow-length sleeves.
An other garment worn throughout this period was an outer garment usually worn by men, the himation. It was also made from a rectangle of woven wool and started as outdoor wear, but, with the arrival of the lighter material of the Ionic chiton, it was worn at any time.
At the start of the Archaic period the himation was comparatively small and worn over the shoulders as a cloak but, as time passed and Greek taste became more sophisticated, methods of draping it became more elaborate and its dimensions increased to ten or twelve feet by five feet. When worn alone, a fashion much favored by philosophers and orators, the draping of the himation was at its most complex form.
Forms of male dress throughout the Archaic and Classical periods were very similar to women's. The two basic garments, the chiton and the himation, were adopted by both sexes. The full-length chiton was worn by all Greek men until the fifth century B.C. when, except for the elderly, it was abandoned in favor of a shorter version, which was knee-length. It was sometimes pinned on the left shoulder only, leaving the right shoulder and arm free. Soldiers worn a chiton on which both shoulders and arms of the garment were sewn, leaving a wide slit for the head. It was generally tied at the waist and a certain amount of material was gathered above the belt to draw the hem-line to mid-thigh level.
It is a popular misconception that Greek costumes were white.
This idea most probably arose because most Greek statues are of marble, bronze, or some other monochromatic material, and even the ones which were originally polychromatic had lost their colors by the time they were discovered.
During the Archaic period, clothes were generally white or off-white, commoners were forbidden to wear red chitons and himations in theaters or public places, but by the fifth century costumes were decorated with a wide range of colors
Homer tells us of extravagant costumes woven with threads of silver and gold.
Pottery, statues and the written word have given us some knowledge of their decorative themes. One of the most common designs for borders was the Greek key pattern which has been used as a decorative motif ever since. More complex borders depicted themes ranging from animals, birds, and fish to complex battle scenes. The colored threads for these embroideries appear to have been limitless. Herodotus mentions yellow, violet, indigo, red and purple in a single garment.
Published in http://www.annaswebart.com/culture/costhistory/index.html and deleted later. This copy was saved in June, 2002 by LC and edited to be posted.
Around 1.200 B.C. waves of Dorian invaders swept into Greece from Illyria on the east of the Adriatic and brought about the downfall of the Mycenaean civilization. The following four centuries are known as the "Dark Age" of Greece. The period started with a civilization of people dressed in bell-shaped skirts and tightly fitted bodices, and ended with a race dressed in draped clothes, the costumes we now associate with the Greeks and the Romans.
From the seventh century B.C. onwards, we have vast quantities of reference material for the study of costume. Greeks were among the finest exponents of figurative sculpture. Never before had costume been portrayed with such meticulous care and precision. Statues, together with untold numbers of painted pots, give the historian a unique pictorial history of the development of a nation and its fashions. At the same time, we have the invaluable contribution of the written word. Such great Greek historians as Herodotus have given us very detailed descriptions of developments in fashion and the social significance of costume and their accessories.
THE DORIC AND THE IONIC COSTUME
During the periods under discussion, generally referred to as Archaic and Classical, there were two basic styles of costume for both men and women: Doric, in existence at the beginning of the Archaic period, and Ionic which was adopted later.
Made from a rectangle of woven wool, it measured about six feet in width and about eighteen inches more than the height of the wearer from shoulder to ankle in length. The fabric was wrapped round the wearer with the excess material folded over the top. It was then pinned on both shoulders and the excess material allowed to fall free, giving the impression of a short cape. The pins used for fastening the shoulders of the peplos were originally open pins with decorated heads, but they were later replaced by fibulae or brooches.
Herodotus, explaining this development, tells us a rather macabre story:
After a disastrous military campaign by the Athenian army, all the forces were put to death except one man who managed to escape, return to Athens and tell the women about their husbands' fate.
Devastated the women took the huge pins from their Doric peplos and butchered the man in anger and contempt.
The men of Athens, Herodotus tells us, were so horrified that they declared that Ionic dress should be worn in the future. Whether the story is true is uncertain, but there was for sure a period when open pins went out of favor.
At the start of the Archaic period the himation was comparatively small and worn over the shoulders as a cloak but, as time passed and Greek taste became more sophisticated, methods of draping it became more elaborate and its dimensions increased to ten or twelve feet by five feet. When worn alone, a fashion much favored by philosophers and orators, the draping of the himation was at its most complex form.
Forms of male dress throughout the Archaic and Classical periods were very similar to women's. The two basic garments, the chiton and the himation, were adopted by both sexes. The full-length chiton was worn by all Greek men until the fifth century B.C. when, except for the elderly, it was abandoned in favor of a shorter version, which was knee-length. It was sometimes pinned on the left shoulder only, leaving the right shoulder and arm free. Soldiers worn a chiton on which both shoulders and arms of the garment were sewn, leaving a wide slit for the head. It was generally tied at the waist and a certain amount of material was gathered above the belt to draw the hem-line to mid-thigh level.
It is a popular misconception that Greek costumes were white.
This idea most probably arose because most Greek statues are of marble, bronze, or some other monochromatic material, and even the ones which were originally polychromatic had lost their colors by the time they were discovered.
During the Archaic period, clothes were generally white or off-white, commoners were forbidden to wear red chitons and himations in theaters or public places, but by the fifth century costumes were decorated with a wide range of colors
Homer tells us of extravagant costumes woven with threads of silver and gold.
Pottery, statues and the written word have given us some knowledge of their decorative themes. One of the most common designs for borders was the Greek key pattern which has been used as a decorative motif ever since. More complex borders depicted themes ranging from animals, birds, and fish to complex battle scenes. The colored threads for these embroideries appear to have been limitless. Herodotus mentions yellow, violet, indigo, red and purple in a single garment.
Published in http://www.annaswebart.com/culture/costhistory/index.html and deleted later. This copy was saved in June, 2002 by LC and edited to be posted.
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